Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the PacificPromoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive
Sports for Development Programmes. Lessons Learnt
from Australian Government Programs in the PacificAlexandra Devine（Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne）

Aleisha Carroll（CBM Australia）

Sainimili Naivalu
Senmilia Seru
（Fiji Disabled People’s Federation）

Background
The World Report on Disability estimates 15 per cent of the world’s population isliving with disability.1 People with disability in most parts of the world continue toexperience discrimination and are frequently excluded from the social, economic andpolitical life of their communities. In many contexts, people with disability do not haveequal access to health care, education or employment opportunities when comparedto people without disability and are subsequently more likely to experience poverty
and be excluded from development processes.2
The global charter on disability rights, the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities（CRPD）conceptualises disability as an evolving
concept which includes ‘those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or
sensory impairments, which in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their fulland effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’.3 Barriers include
those within the built environment, negative attitudes, lack of access to information inappropriate formats, and policies which do not promote equal participation by people
with disability.
In line with the CRPD, development agencies such as the Australian government’s
aid program are increasingly demonstrating a commitment to disability-inclusive
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development. This consists of two main strategies: including the perspectives andrights of people with disability in all development activities, while at the same time
empowering people with disability through disability-specific projects. Article 30（Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport） of the CRPD requires
States Parties to take all feasible steps to ensure participation and equal access ofpeople with disability to recreation, leisure and sport. Article 32 （International
cooperation） requires international development programs to be inclusive of andaccessible to people with disability.3
Sports programs have been recognised by the United Nations as having unique
attributes which can contribute to the development process.4 Sport is universally
popular, can play a role in reducing non-communicable diseases, and contribute tohealthy childhood development. Whilst having numerous benefits for individual
physical and mental health, it can also be an effective platform for communication ofhealth and human rights messaging. When sports programs are primarily driven by
development objectives, they may also be effective for promoting inclusive
development.5
Participation in sport is recognised as a fundamental right, but its numerous
benefits are particularly relevant to people with disability. People with disability
taking part in sports programs report a sense of achievement and pride, improved
self-concept and self-esteem,6 better social skills, as well as increasing mobility andindependence. Whilst these benefits are similar to those experienced by people
without disability, the benefits are thought to be more significant to people withdisability given their typical isolation and exclusion from other community activities,
especially in resource-poor settings.5 Sport which enables people with and without
disability to come together in a positive social environment is also thought to promote
inclusion and empowerment by challenging negative beliefs about the abilities ofpeople with disability.7
In recognition of these attributes, the Australian government’s aid program
partnered with the Australian Sports Commission （ASC） in an approach called,‘Development-through-sport’.8 The Australian Sports Outreach Program （ASOP）
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacificunder the management of the ASC, has implemented a variety of disability-inclusive
sports for development programs throughout the Pacific region through Country
Programs and Pacific Sport Partnership programs（PSP）. The aim was to deliver
sport-based programs that provided a platform to contribute to development
outcomes. The objectives were a）increase levels of regular participation of PacificIslanders, including persons with disability, in quality sport activities; b） improvehealth-related behaviours which impact on non-communicable disease risk factors;
and, c）improve attitudes towards and increased inclusion of persons with disability.
This paper presents key findings from an evaluation of the ASOP program in the
Pacific with the aim of highlighting factors which promote the effective inclusion of
persons with disability in sport-for-development programming.

Methods
This research was implemented by the CBM-Nossal Partnership for Disability
Inclusive Development, in partnership with the Australian Government’s AustralianSports Commission（ASC）and the Fiji Disabled People’s Federation（FDPF）. The
aim of the study was to document the lessons learnt from the implementation of sport
for inclusive development programs in the Pacific. The objectives included 1） to
explore enablers of and barriers to the inclusion of people with disability within sport
for inclusive development programs; 2）to document the experiences of both people
with and people without disability participating in the sport for inclusive development
programs; and, 3）to explore the impact of sport for inclusive development on the
lives of participants with disability.
The research was implemented in Australia, Fiji, PNG and Samoa between March
20 and May 22 2015. Wherever possible, the research team aimed to include a
representative across gender, location, type of impairments, and people representing
or engaged in a range of sport programs. All participants were asked to participate
in an in-depth interview or group discussion which took approximately 60-90 minutes.
All participants were 18 years or older.

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Key informants included stakeholders knowledgeable on the development andimplementation of sport for inclusive development programs which had received
funding from the Australian government through the ASOP. This included current
and former ASC staff, in-country government stakeholders, international and national
sports organisations staff, DPO staff, and other stakeholders involved in the local
implementation of programs such as coaches and sport for development staff. A totalof 45 key informants were interviewed. Fourteen in-depth interviews were conductedwith current participants of sport for inclusive development programs（both maleand female, with and without disability）; four with people with disability who had
dropped out of sport; and three with families of children with disability currently
participating in sport.
Ethics approval was gained through the Human Research Ethics Committee（HREC） at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Local approval was gained
where required, such as through the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Fiji.

Key findings
Improved self-confidence and empowerment of people with disability
People with disability consistently reported that participation in sport had led to agreater sense of self-confidence and self-worth. As highlighted by a male sportparticipant with physical disability in Fiji- ［‘ Sport］expose［ s］that disabled people
have talent. We can compete … I’ve noticed it gives you more confidence to expose
yourself. No longer staying at home and being quiet’. All sport participants reflectedon these intrinsic qualities of sport, and, that sport enabled them to challenge
negative beliefs about their capabilities by providing opportunities to demonstrate
their skills and talents to the broader community.

It changed my mindset. It changed how I look at myself, because I was achieving
a lot. Participating in the Games … and also overseas. Being involved in thecommunity, being on TV. It’s normal hey, because then they don’t see mydisability anymore. Those are the changes that it has brought into my life.（Malesport participant with physical disability, Fiji）
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacific

Participation in sport was reported to empower individuals to in turn empowerothers with disability to access sport. Being included alongside people with andwithout disability, and pushing each other to improve was also reported to promotebroader community inclusion.

I think that for some of us who are former athletes … they tend to be engaged inother activities in the community such as becoming a businessman andsometimes have jobs such as being a cook or working in an office. As they areaware of the problems we tend to face, and through sports, are empowered towork through these problems. It then becomes important for them to drivechanges in the community, due to individual experiences of overcoming
challenges.（DPO representative, PNG）

Fostering networks to support disability inclusive sport fordevelopment programs
A number of important networks and partnerships which support inclusion ofpeople with disability in sport were highlighted during the evaluation. Central tothese are the partnerships between DPOs, national sports organisations, and theirinternational or regional counterparts, including organisations for the Paralympic
movement. The extent to which these partnerships had been fostered varied acrossthe different organisations and depended on a number of factors. A common theme
highlighted was the need for a clear understanding of each stakeholder’s priorities;
their role within these partnerships; and the capacity of stakeholders to contribute topartnerships.

Disabled People’s Organisations
The key stakeholders in networks which support disability inclusion within sport
for development programs are DPOs. The importance of adequately resourcing DPOs
and building their capacity for partnerships has been acknowledged in the literature
and was highlighted throughout this research. The capacity of DPOs to engage inpartnerships with sports organisations varies greatly and depends on the availabilityof their own and external resources. This is especially so when meaningful
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engagement is sought, whereby DPOs are involved in all aspects of sport for inclusive
development programming - from the capacity building of sports organisations toplanning, implementation and evaluation of activities.

Sport activity is more like developing a strategic plan … you bring in your ideas
to the table and you discuss it together with other members. From then you comeup with a better plan … representing different views of different people in yourgroup. So that’s what I call inclusive sport …you design something that includes
everyone’s idea and make sure that everyone is involved from the beginning, theimplementation and monitoring and evaluation as well as reporting ... you don’t
just ask［ people with disability］to join when the program is half way through.
You include them from the beginning.（DPO representative, Samoa）

International Sporting Organisations
DPO involvement in sport for inclusive development programs also enabled sports
organisations to develop their knowledge on disability and provided links with
communities. Sports organisations interviewed who recognised a need to be more
inclusive sought out partnerships with DPOs to support their understanding of
disability. This process also allowed DPOs to develop their effectiveness around
implementing sports programs. Critical to creating inclusive sport opportunities was
the time and effort international sports organisations spent in understanding the local
context and culture of disability, such as the local enablers and barriers for people
with disability to participate in sport. Sharing this knowledge and networks between
DPOs and sports organisations was also integral to successful implementation at thecommunity level.

Having a clear objective right from the start is very important I think, andproviding more guidance to sports on how to do that to avoid mistakes. I think
what we were trying to do was turning sports organisations into disability
organisations rather than getting sports organisations to do what they’re really
good at, and partnering with DPOs to do what they’re really good at.
（International sports organisation representative, Australia）
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the PacificNational Sports Organisations
National sports organisations play a central role in supporting the sustainability ofsport for inclusive development activities. There were some examples identified inthis research of national sports organisations which included people with disability intheir programs, and encouraged competitive pathways for people with disability insport prior to the current ASOP. It was also clear the ASOP had encouraged anumber of organisations to improve inclusion.
Again, organisational commitment was seen as important and was often reported
to be fostered by individual champions for inclusion. Individuals with anunderstanding and interest in inclusion were recognised for their role in championing
inclusion and encouraging and linking in a number of individuals with disability into
sport networks. These individuals included coaches, mentors and other sports leaders
who identified participants and supported their inclusion through encouraging family
support, securing funding, training people with disability to be coaches, andencouraging networking between disability organisations and mainstream sports
organisations.
Sports organisations also recognised the importance of including people withdisability in their programs, and the role this plays in supporting networks with otherstakeholders such as Paralympic Committees.

So that is something we are going to continue to encourage and liaise with your
Disabled People’s Organisations and the Paralympic Association. Something we
can work together on- to ensure interest is maintained and also for participation.
That in order to strengthen the Paralympic we need to reach out to the coaches
and educate them for proper training and training of development of athletes
from the special schools.（National sports organisation representative, Fiji）

Creating different opportunities and pathways for people withdisability to participate in sport
Participants with disability reflected on a number of intrapersonal factors which
impact their participation in sport. People with disability highlighted they often lack49

Journal of Paralympic Research Group vol.9

confidence in their own abilities, particularly when their families lack confidence inthem and actively discourage their participation in sport. Participants also identified
environmental barriers to participation such as lack of accessible information on
available programs; inaccessible facilities and equipment; and difficulty accessing
transport to get to training and events. Despite this, a number of factors whichfacilitate participation of people with disability in sport and the wider community
emerged.

Peer-to-peer encouragement through role models
Encouragement from peers with disability who participated in sport themselves
was described as a major facilitator of participation and initial entry point into sport,with evidence of this peer-to-peer pathway being built into some programs moreformally. In Fiji for example, DPOs helped identify ‘Sports Champs’ to be role models
and help identify and encourage other people with disability to participate in sport.
This concept of role models with disability promoting participation in sport was astrong theme emerging throughout the research.
Most respondents in Fiji for example, reported the achievements of Honourable
Assistant Minister Iliesa Delana （a Fijian athlete with disability） at the London
Paralympics and through his employment in the Ministry, as a turning-point inchanging the perceptions people with disability had of themselves, as well as
challenging how the community perceived people with disability. Another example
from Samoa highlighted the positive impact of inviting Paralympic medallists tochildren’s sporting events to raise awareness of the achievements of people withdisability in elite sport. Similarly, sports organisations reported using videos of people
with disability competing at an elite level as a tool to transform community
perceptions about the capacity of people with disability to compete in sport.

Encouragement and support through DPOs, sports
organisations and familySports organisations were highlighted as playing an important role in encouraging
participation in sport. Individuals within these organisations were reported as
instrumental in identifying people with disability in communities and nurturing their
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacificskills and talents. People with disability were reported to sometimes be ‘locked athome’（Fiji）. Organisations acknowledged that because of this and the long history of
exclusion, significant time and effort is required to encourage individuals withdisability to participate in sport.

Like, they still feel shy. There is still that stigma, that barrier that they have. So
we sports

people, sometimes we have to go that extra mile, we have to breakthe ice with them in order to get them to open up and be comfortable.（National
sport organisation representative, Fiji）
This support also needs to be extended to families, as absence of family support oractive discouragement was identified as a common barrier with many respondents
reporting strong cultural and traditional beliefs, particularly in the rural areas,
whereby families believe people with disability should stay at home. Key informantsemphasized the importance of addressing these barriers and encouraging families toenable their family member with disability to participate in sport.
...［they say］“no my child did not play that game because you know he has adisability, he can’t play.” So they come and just say that, you know, take away
kids from the event ... we have to provide some awareness program … toencourage the parents to bring in their kids … because most of the parents here
in Samoa believe that people with disability is just to stay home. Not to include
in anything. But from what I know is to … keep encourage not only the parents,
but you know, all those relatives of the kids.（DPO representative, Samoa）
Most participants reported that when family support was available, that it was
integral to ongoing participation. Different kinds of family support were described,
such as practical support like helping people get to training and helping to financethe cost of participation. Families were also central to enhancing the self-belief of
their family members with a disability: ‘My family embraced it – even when they saw
this［ disability］happening to me they still kept encouraging me ... I didn’t want tolisten – I was too ashamed to go around’. （Male sport participant with physicaldisability, Fiji）
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Opportunities to participate in mainstream or inclusive sports
programs
Providing opportunities for people with and without disability to play sport
alongside each other is an important approach to inclusion. This approach was being
implemented by some organisations, but not all. The evidence also suggests people
with disability often participate in mainstream sport due to self-motivation, rather
than an as a result of opportunities provided by sports organisations.
Schools （special schools in particular） were cited by participants as a common
entry point for people with disability into sport. Sport programs implemented in
special schools allow for development of skills in a safe and supported environment,
which for some children with disability is a pre-requisite to participating in
mainstream sport activities. This said a small number of participants felt programs
implemented in special schools can actually create barriers too, as it keeps children
with disability segregated from playing sport with children without disability. It does
however highlight the need to develop the capacity of sports organisations to design
and implement more programs outside of disability specific settings.

Competitive pathways
Moving beyond engaging in social sport activities can be very challenging forathletes. Whilst the majority of people with disability interviewed were motivated toplay sport for health and social benefits, there were others who were frustrated by
the barriers to more competitive pathways. In PNG, a lack of competitive pathways
was attributed to a lack of people with disability holding leadership positions in sports
organisations; inadequate engagement of people with disability in the design andimplementation of sports programs; and, a lack of collaboration between service
providers and DPOs, particularly when service providers have ‘control’ over the
implementation of sport programs. Also highlighted was the need for more
recognition of the achievements of athletes with disability and better support forthese athletes to achieve at a higher level. One DPO representative in PNG reported‘I won three gold medals in the PNG Games, the javelin, shot-put and discus... I also
participated in the Arafura Games … however from then on I was not supported to52Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacificprogress on to the next level.（DPO representative, PNG）

Representation of people with disability within leadership roles
Beyond participating in sport itself, a number of participants described pathways
which enabled them to engage in sport in different roles. Having more people withdisability in positions of leadership in sport was also described as a way to makepeople with disability feel more comfortable about joining sports programs - ‘While I
was training for my athletics we used to have a coach who was also disabled so heused to understand us’（Female sport participant with vision impairment, Fiji）.

Accessibility of sport programs for all people with disability
Inaccessible sporting facilities and lack of knowledge on how to modify sports topromote access for people with disability, was seen as an ongoing barrier toparticipation. This is particularly important when considering the participation ofpeople with more complex participation requirements. It was expressed that some
sports currently only cater for people who are more mobile and use common
communications methods, and people with more complex physical or cognitive needs
were missing out. Some key informants reported that a genuine commitment, timeand resources are required from sports organisations to analyse and problem solve as
to how their sport can be modified to enable people with different abilities andimpairments to participate in sport.

I believe it is a lack of knowledge and information regarding people withdisabilities and how to sort of modify ... for us abled people that is something I
saw from carrying out these activities, a lot of things are done for abled people.
So when we carry out these workshops it has enabled us to see that we need toalso include modification of things, activities, or whatever you wish to teachthem to do, to modify them to suit the target group.（National sports organisation
representative, Fiji）
There is also a need to change the perceptions of the capabilities of people with53

Journal of Paralympic Research Group vol.9

disability. One respondent reflected that whilst people without disability areencouraged to ‘push your limits’ through sport, coaches were observed to treat people
with disability with ‘sympathy’ （International sports organisation representative,
Australia）, and not provide them with the same intensity and challenge in training.
Ensuring training of coaches highlights the importance of maintaining expectations of
all people to achieve a standard in line with their full potential, was highlighted as
one way to address this.
Access to sport was reported to be better in urban cities as compared to rural
areas. Most participants from Fiji for example, reported sporting venues in the
country’s capital had improved in terms of accessibility, but in communities outside
the city this was an ongoing issue. Similarly, limited access to coaches in rural areas
was reported to prevent participation. For some participants who live relatively close
to urban areas, significant motivation and financial resources were still required tocommit to traveling one to two hours to attend daily training. Even where psychicallyaccessible buildings do exist access was constrained by the short opening hours ofvenues; difficulty getting to the venue; and difficulty mobilising within the venue
around equipment.

We have a gymnasium the day but it’s always full. It’s a small gym and a lot of
corporate bodies training …..［ it’s］hard for me. And they only open at about 3
o’clock in the afternoon. So in my case if someone is to open a gym close to where
I am they should open in the morning so when abled people go to work. disabled
people like me can access.（Male sport participant with vision impairment, Fiji）
As mentioned earlier opportunities to participate in sport are not the same for all
people with disability. In particular people with psychosocial disability, intellectual
disability, and people with communication difficulties have less access to participation
than people with other types of impairments. These groups of people were reported
to often experience additional barriers related to prejudice and discrimination frompeople with other kinds of disability and also people without disability. One key
informant reported staff often don’t have appropriate understanding of how tointeract with some people with disability – ‘If they have a physical disability they are
more likely to be included, whereas people with a mental disability - there is often
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacificthat fear of well I don’t know how to talk to you, because you have a mental
disability.’（International sports organisation representative, Australia）.
Where participants had experience of representing their country in national orinternational events and received media attention, they described the experience of
becoming ‘famous’ in their community and the associated positive interaction withothers. Travelling within the country and internationally through sport supported
social opportunities.

It’s fun, you meet new people and travel around ... you are being exposed to othercustoms and traditions - you’re not closed up, you can open up ... you are more
confident with speaking to other people ... apart from your own race and apartfrom Fijian people.（Male sport participant with physical disability, Fiji）

Disability inclusive planning and design of sport fordevelopment programs
Meaningful participation in sport and recreation for people with disability goesbeyond being a beneficiary of sport activities. It also encompasses inclusion in sport
processes, including planning, design, monitoring and evaluation of programs. The
inclusion of people with disability in planning and design was recognised byrespondents as contributing to breaking down barriers about the capacity of people
with disability to contribute to their communities- ‘... we had to let people know who
was in the background doing all the work organising the events and how people withdisabilities fitted into all of that’（Male sport participant who is Deaf, Fiji）.
Other examples included the benefits of dedicated roles for people with disability inplanning sport activities from within DPOs – ‘they use［ sport］ champions from, I
think there is one from the Paralympics, one from the Deaf［ Association］as well ...
we have used them to help us to organise cricket activities for each organisation so
the organising is done through the champs’（Sports organisation representative, Fiji）.
However, these instances of inclusion in the planning and design phases have notbeen consistent across sport programs, between or within countries. While there
were some examples of people with disability being included in planning at the55

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provincial level in PNG, there were others that had not been given this opportunity –‘We want to be properly consulted. Take the time to consult with us and take on board
our comments and views, please listen to us’（DPO representative, PNG）.

Social inclusion through sport for development
The social aspects of sport were ranked as more important than the competitive
aspect by almost all of the participants from Fiji. For those who participated in sports
before acquiring an impairment, some reflected that the important aspect of sportchanged from being personal achievement before having a disability, to the social
elements once they had a disability.
There were some good examples from Fiji where organisations had designed social
aspects for people with and without disability into their sport activities and whilst
some people with disability felt comfortable participating in these, others required
encouragement to join in social activities for the first time. Staff also recognised theimportance attached to social sports and encouraged design of activities with the aimof making them fun.
Activities which focus on physical exercise with a fun approach were seen as
having particular capacity to draw out people who may face isolation: ‘... and alsowith other members who have been home for long and they have come out because of
the dance program and they participate in’（Female participant with psychosocial
disability）. These findings suggest social events implemented through sport can bebuilt upon to increase participation as well as to provide social connection where
people may be excluded in other aspects of community life. People without disability
also valued the opportunity to spend time with people with disability.

‘It was the first time for me to participate in sports with persons with disabilities
and I really like it, it was a totally new experience for me. For me as an abled
body, I just played with friends that are without disability... I learnt a lot and it
was fun … The main reason for getting involved is its totally new hey. Because
every day in my daily life I have to be with people without disability.（Malesports participant without disability, Fiji）

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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the PacificSports programs in schools were identified by DPOs as particularly important forchildren with disability to socialise and develop skills – ‘what we are seeing in thosekind of games we play locally ... most of the kids they don’t know each other when
they come and play games they finally make friends with other kids’ （DPO
representative, Samoa）. This sentiment was echoed by parents.
It has especially［ impacted on］ social inclusiveness and access to education.
Without sports sometimes, she is always idle, but with sport she is learning
process, because more children they tend to learn through sports, and some of them
they don’t adapt in the classroom. When you get them to play sports that’s when
they learn to get engaged.（Parent of child with disability participating in sport, Fiji）

Discussion
Findings from this study support evidence in the literature that sport can be a
powerful transformative tool, improving the overall status of people with disability
within society.5,9 Promoting access to sport for people with disability has the capacity
to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities, and improving physical andmental health.10-12 Further, by providing a platform for people with and without
disability to come together, there is an opportunity to challenge commonly held
misconceptions about disability and for people with disability to demonstrate theircapacities. It also provides an opportunity for people without disability to interact andsocialise with people with disabilities. This may help to address negative attitudes
towards disabilities, a major barrier to the inclusion in other activities such as
education, employment and community participation more broadly.1,2Realising the rights of people with disability to participate in sport requires
governments and sport for development programs to clearly articulate disability
inclusion in their strategies, contractual agreements, implementation plans, and as
part of their monitoring and evaluation. A strong policy environment for health andphysical activity is vital, making sure relevant policies are disability-inclusive would
strengthen subsequent inclusion within implementation. 12 Family support is anotherstrong enabler of participation of people with disability in sport. Organisations need57

Journal of Paralympic Research Group vol.9

to engage with families to help identify and address barriers to inclusion, including
barriers resulting from family attitudes. Building on community outreach programs is
one way this could be achieved.
Effective and sustainable sport for development programs require leadership andcollaboration.13 The same is required of disability-inclusive sport for development
programs. This study highlighted a number of important networks and partnershipsthat support inclusion of people with disability in sport. Central to these are thepartnerships between DPOs, national sports organisations, and their international orregional counterparts. People with disabilities are the key stakeholders in sport forinclusive development networks. In recognition of this, programs should determine
appropriate mechanisms and adequate resources to ensure people with disabilities
can provide leadership and coordination of these networks, support organisational
commitment and capacity for disability inclusion, and meaningfully engage in all
aspects of programming.
Inclusion of people with disabilities in programs not only benefits individuals, but
their families and the broader community.7 Implementers of programs and DPOs
need to continue to work with families and communities to raise awareness of
disabilities, and promote an understanding of the benefits of sport including thepotential to promote access to other life domains such as social inclusion, educationand employment. Similar to other findings in the literature, this study found thatdrawing on high profile role models and ‘champions’ such as Paralympians, is key topromoting awareness and encouraging participation in sport of individuals who are
more likely to have experienced exclusion and marginalisation.14
People with disabilities want more choice and options as to how they participate insport – from intermittent social participation, to participating at an elite level, andengaging in sport beyond playing, in roles such as coaching and other leadership
positions. Similarly, as many people with disabilities living in the Pacific do not live inurban areas where many sports programs are implemented, organisations need tocontinue to build their capacity to provide more opportunities for people withdisabilities to participate in sport in rural and remote areas. Building on community
outreach programs and collaborations between DPOs, sports organisations and ruralcommunities is one way this could be achieved.
Linked to this is the positive impact disability inclusive sports for development
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Promoting Effective Implementation of Disability Inclusive Sports for Development
Programmes. Lessons Learnt from Australian Government Programs in the Pacificprograms can have on global disability and sport platforms such as the Paralympic
and Special Olympic movements. Increasing the pool of athletes with disability andenhancing competitive pathways strengthens the Paralympic and Special Olympic
movements. In turn, strengthening of these movements helps to promote andcelebrate the capabilities of people with disability in society more broadly.

Conclusion
Disability inclusion is reaching a critical point whereby organisations are becoming
more aware of the importance of inclusion. There have been significant positivechanges since the introduction of the CRPD, which are reflected in this research. It is
hoped that this trend will continue the explicit inclusion of disability within five of the
Sustainable Development Goals.15 The growing recognition of the effectiveness ofsport as a tool for development, including in the SDGs, and the importance ofdisability-inclusive development provides an excellent opportunity to advocate for the
implementation of sport for development programs which are inclusive of people withdisability. Ensuring people with disability are included within sport for development
programs will contribute to the improved quality of life of people with disabilities, andhelp fulfil the development community’s responsibility to ensure people withdisabilities are no longer marginalised from the processes and benefits of broader
development goals.
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World Health Organization and The World Bank（2011）.World report on Disability. Geneva:
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Mitra S., Posarac A., & Vick B.（2013）. Disability and poverty in developing countries: amultidimensional study. World Development, 41, 1-18.

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United Nations. （2006）. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Geneva:
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United Nations Office for Sport for Development and Peace. Website. Retrieved on May 11,2015 from: http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/sport/home/sport

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Dudfield O. & Kaye T.（2013）. The Commonwealth guide to advancing development throughsport. Commonwealth Secretariat: London. Retrieved May 11, 2015 from: http://www.un.org/
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Sport.pdf
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Scarpa S.（2011）Physical self concept and self esteem in adolescents and young adults withphysical disability: the role of sports participation. European Journal of Adapted Physical
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Ashton-Shaeffer C., Gibson HJ., Autry CE., and Hansen CS. （2001）. Meaning of sport toadults with physical disabilities: A disability sport camp experience. Sociology of Sport
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開発プログラムにおけるインクルーシブスポーツの効果的な推進～太平洋におけるオーストラリア政府の取組みから開発プログラムにおけるインクルーシブスポーツの効果的な推進～太平洋におけるオーストラリア
政府の取組みからアレクサンドラ・ディバイン（メルボルン大学グローバルヘルス・ノサル研究所）

アリシア・キャロル
（CBM オーストラリア）

サイナミリ・ナイヴァル
センミリア・セル（フィジー障害者連盟）

国連の「障害者の権利に関する条約」（CRPD）が採択されてから10年経つ現在でも，引き続き多くの障がい者が，開発のためのスポーツ活動を含め，彼らのコミュニティの社会経済生活や日常生活から排除される経験をしている。
スポーツが，開発プロセスおよび個人や集団の健康促進のために寄与できる特有な性質を持っていることは認識されている。ただし，開発のためのスポーツが，障がい者の包摂に役立っているか否か，またそれがどのように役立っているかを示す根拠は，ほとんど存在していない。
「障害者の権利に関する条約」は，障がい者のあらゆる人権の完全かつ平等な享受を促進，保護，および確保する国の義務をうたっている。これには，文化的な生活，レク
リエーション，余暇およびスポーツ活動への参加（第30条），ならびに国際協力における障がい者の包容（第32条）が含まれる。障がいのある人もない人も共に集うのことのできるポジティブな社会をつくるためのスポーツ・プログラムは，障がい者の能力に対する否定的な思い込みに立ち向かうことによって，より包摂的なコミュニティに貢献するものである。このことは，障がい者が世界の舞台で競うパラリンピックにおいて，とりわけ顕著にみることができる。
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パラリンピック研究会

紀要 vol.9

本稿では，スポーツ開発プログラムにおける障がい者の包摂を効果的に促進する要素に着目する。ここでは，オーストラリア政府の「スポーツを通した開発」戦略に関する
2015年の評価をエビデンスとして使用する。これは，オーストラリア・スポーツ・コミッ
ションの太平洋におけるオーストラリア・スポーツ・アウトリーチ・プログラムの管理下で実行された評価である。定性的面接とフォーカス・グループ・ディスカッションのひとつは，障がいのある，またない主催者と参加者，スポーツに参加している障がいのある子どもを持つ家族を対象に行われた。
スポーツへの参加が，自尊心，健康，幸福，社会包摂を改善すると報告された。包摂を妨げる主な要因には，偏見，差別，移動時に不可欠なアクセシビリティとスポーツ施
設の不足，補助的な器具の不足といった障がい者特有のニーズが含まれる。スポーツ開発において障がいのある人々が最も効果的に包摂されるのは，仲間内での励まし，ス
ポーツ・プログラムの様々な場面における障がい者の意義ある参加とリーダーシップ，
社会的かつ競合的な進路が用意されたときである。

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